Henry Albert Truebe, well known geologist, mineralogist and part-time mineral dealer, was born in Mahopac, Putnam County, New York on February 15, 1943. He graduated with a degree in Geology from the Colorado School of Mines, and spent time in the Peace Corp (in Tonga) in the late 1960s. He settled in Crested Butte, Colorado in the 1970s and became involved in mineral exploration and prospecting, especially in the Elk Mountains, at Italian Mountain in Gunnison County, and at other central Colorado localities. He was an avid mineral collector, and prospected for specimens with Dennis Hall and Brian Dale. Together they formed the Far Out Mines Company (grubstaked by horse-racing heir Tommy Jacobs) to sell the specimens they found, and later he formed another company, Alpine Exploration (ALPEX). His ads for the latter company appeared in Mineralogical Record from March-April 1976 to July-August 1984.

Henry returned to college to further his studies in economic geology, receiving his MS in 1982 at the University of Arizona, where he studied under Spencer Titley. After working for a few years he returned again to the University of Arizona where he received his PhD from the Department of Hydrology and Water Resources. While in Arizona he also developed a strong interest in caving. Henry was the author of numerous papers on mineralogy and mineral exploration in Mineralogical Record, Lapidary Journal, Engineering and Mining Journal, Quarterly of the Colorado School of Mines, and other publications.

Henry Truebe died in Tucson in August 2007, following a two-year battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife, Laura Kosakowsky (University of Arizona Department of Anthropology), and children Brian and Sarah (Sarah is a recent MS recipient at Stanford, where Brian is currently a senior).